Nvidia releases GeForce Experience GameStream beta

Nvidia has made good on its August promise by releasing a new version of its GeForce Experience software boasting integrated streaming and internet-based cooperative play.

Nvidia announced its planned new features for GeForce Experience back in August, and chief among them was the promise of internet-based cooperative play for games which are traditionally local-only. By teaming up with a friend running the same GeForce Experience software - on an Nvidia graphics card, naturally - users could not only watch a live stream of a game but also take control or play alongside for games supporting multiple local players. Unlike traditional multiplayer, the remote players wouldn't even need a copy of the game: everything is rendered on the host's system and streamed to the remote players.

The company also pledged console-like DVR functionality in the next update, with the aforementioned embedded streaming being joined the a simple video capture and editing system with direct YouTube upload support.

These features are now, as promised, available to anyone with a Maxwell or Kepler Nvidia GPU. Not quite ready for prime-time, the company has released a beta of the new GeForce Experience as an optional download for anyone interested in giving the new features a go. Those wishing to try out GameStream hosting will require a GeForce GTX 650 or higher desktop GPU or GeForce GTX 660M mobile GPU without Optimus configuration - support for the IGP-DGPU switching system is coming later, Nvidia has indicated - along with an Intel i3-2100 CPU or better, 4GB of RAM, and Windows 7 or higher. The company recommends 7Mb/s upstream bandwidth as a minimum for streaming.

More information, and the all-important download link, is available from Nvidia's official website.